KABUL - The EU Delegation to Afghanistan on Thursday held its sixth annual Anti-Corruption Conference at the Presidential Palace.
The conference gathered around 150 participants from civil society, the private sector, official institutions, media, and the international community.
EU Ambassador Andreas Von Brandt at the event emphasized the importance of strengthening anti-corruption efforts as a measure to build trust between the Afghan people and their government as well as with the international donor community.
“Trust is an equally crucial component to achieve sustainable peace,” he said.
Ambassador von Brandt highlighted the need for a strong regulatory framework, including by developing a robust new Anti-Corruption Strategy, which President Ghani confirmed will be done, through an inclusive process based on lessons learned from the past.
He also emphasized the need for strong independent institutions and in this context welcomed the announcement by the President on the formation of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
To build national consensus on fighting corruption President Ghani also announced the Government’s consideration to call for a Loya Jirga.  
President Ghani announced the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission and assured that a new anti-corruption strategy will be based on lessons learned and developed through consultations.
The EU ambassador also stressed that further efforts are still needed to implement anti-corruption rules and policies.
He emphasized the need to deliver effective investigations and prosecutions, in particular of high-level suspects, to demonstrate that corrupt actions have consequences.
“Everyone must be equal before the law if Afghanistan wants to build a strong culture of accountability and integrity, he stressed,” he said.
The conference was held two weeks prior to the Afghanistan 2020 Geneva Conference where the international community is expected to make commitments for Afghanistan for another four years. (TOLO NEWS)